“What about a papa? What sound does he make?” Dean asks from beside Jo, the biggest smile on his face. He’s smitten with Calli, who furrows her little brow now and audibly grunts. Everyone laughs as we watch Asher finally wrangle her to secure the little bowed ponytail.
Calli started walking a week ago, seven days exactly before her first birthday. I haven’t stopped chasing her since, and I feel as though I’m living in a state of constant panic every time she bumps into something or falls down. The apple truly doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
“All right, get going, little cub.”
Asher sets her down and she wobbles her way over to me as I move closer, meeting her and scooping her up in my arms just as the doorbell to the big house rings. I look at her and she looks at me.
“Who’s here, Calli-cub?” Mama Jo tickles her belly on the way by.
“Na Na! Pa Pa!”
“I bet you’re right. Let’s see.”
We move toward the front of the house and Jo pulls open the door to reveal my mom and dad, shaking the snow off their hair as they come through. Always the first guests for Calli.
“Good God, you went over the top, didn’t you?” My dad chuckles, looking around the pink heaven that waits for them inside. There are pink cows, pigs, horses, dogs, cats, all in balloon form and scattered over the space. Homemade pink cup-cakes, and cake pops, and napkins and plates—all supplied by my mom—adorn the top of a long trestle table.
“I had some help.”
I side-eye Jo, who shrugs and looks at Dean sitting beside her on the sofa. “We’ve been the three amigos on this. Parties are our thing,” she says happily, speaking of the afternoons she spent helping me plan with Dean milling about, always offering his two cents.
“Welcome to Calli’s barnyard,” I tell my dad as I hug him. My mom takes Calli from my arms the first chance she gets and the two of them cuddle and whisper to each other like the best of friends they are. Asher and my dad chat about the weather and the ride from town as I follow behind my little family, knowing that this is the calm before the storm. Within the hour, the Silver Pines big house will be packed with everyone we love to help Calli celebrate her first birthday.
Asher
Even fucking Olivia senseless in the tack barn didn’t help me like I thought it would. I’m still nervous as hell.
Since the moment Calli was born—hell, even before that—I’ve planned this moment. And though I’m sure I know the answer, my palms are still sweaty, mama’s spaghetti, nervous as fuck.
The big house living room and kitchen are jam-packed with everyone we know and love for my cub’s first birthday.
Myself, Nash, Wade, and Haden are on the floor with Billi, Ruby, and Calli, playing with Calli’s big barn set and munching on finger foods, while CeCe, Ivy, Liv, and Cassie chat in the kitchen, each of them drinking a glass of wine while Ginger stands idly by, holding her and Cole’s baby, Isla. She’s only ten months old and not quite able to chase the older ones yet. Little Billi is two and a half now and Ruby is eighteen months. They play like sisters and Calli just follows them around, but Mabel is the queen of all the girls, watching over all of them like a little mother badger.
“Think you can get us a boy next time?” Nash asks Cole as he joins them on the floor and takes over the role of the horse.
“Can you?” Cole chuckles. “It would be nice to add some Tonka trucks to the mix.”
“Wait till this is all Barbies.” Ginger nods to the pile of toys.
“We like Barbies, don’t we, half pint?” Cole asks Mabel.
“Yup,” Mabel says. “Even if the next baby is a boy, I’m still making him play with Barbies.”
“You boys used to play with CeCe’s Barbies all the time,” Jo pipes up to Cole and Wade from the kitchen where she’s standing with the girls.
“Yeah, we did.” Wade grins. “Barbie Olympics.”
“Yep.” Cole huffs out a laugh. “Used to slide them down thestair railing or toss them off the back deck to see whose could go the farthest.”
“Wrecked every single one of my Barbies’ hair,” CeCe adds. “By the time they were done with them, they were all matted and impossible to brush through.”
“Classic.” Haden chuckles. “I could go for a game of that. What d’ya say, Mabes?”
“Can we makesurethe next baby is a girl too?” Mabel asks Cole, anxious about the state of her Barbies.
Everyone laughs and I turn to watch Olivia. Her smile is so big today with everyone here to celebrate a year of Calli. Watching Liv grow as a mother has been the greatest honor of my life, and I have no fucking clue how, but it makes me love her and want her even more. This woman—who can still be so damn clumsy—has so much grace as a mom it blows my mind.
I can’t get enough of her. And no matter how close I am to her, I always want to be closer. Which is why this velvet box is burning a goddamn hole in my pocket.
